Princess Sunburst

Despite his plan, Harry was far too busy dealing with the Death Eaters to question anyone about Zara Prince. There was only one person that came to mind as his sister’s secret protectors. According to the conversation he heard between Apollonia and Hermione, there were four people protecting her. Who they were was not currently known, but Harry was intent on figuring it out. Anyone who was protecting Apollonia besides Malfoy was a good thing, and he wanted to know who it was, who Zara would have asked.

But, Harry was unable to go question the young man whom he knew was protecting his sister. With the captured Death Eaters, a preliminary questioning was to take place before they were sent to Azkaban. And, Harry was the only person who could sit in during the questioning. No one else was called in, and the only other person who was involved in this was Percy – who could not legally sit in during the questioning, but rather was helping in the legality of the issues – meaning that Harry was the only person even remotely capable of doing this; he had no possible way to question anyone about the Zara matter.

It was during fifth year when Harry decided that he wanted to be an Auror, chasing after dark wizards. Going after Voldemort for so many years determined that he was best suited for chasing people like him. The one thing, however, that was never addressed was the amount of paperwork that went with it. And, for the eight Death Eaters that were captured just today, there was a pile of paperwork that had to be filled out, all of which was Harry’s responsibility. It was the one duty about being an Auror in which Harry was beginning to despise. If not for that, Harry could have easily figured out what was going on with his sister; he could start trying to figure out how Zara figured into Apollonia’s life, how she was even capable of doing anything to help her.

For a long time, Apollonia was invisible. Harry never noticed that she was around; Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, and Bulstrode were the most visible Slytherin students, with Apollonia, Greengrass, Davis, Nott, and Zabini flying under the radar. The latter group was never noticed until fifth/sixth year, especially Apollonia. While Harry—and most other students—never cared to notice that Apollonia was around, Zara and a select group of students knew of and watched over her. This group protected her. And, Harry was forever grateful to her for what was done; to all those who protected Apollonia.

For another hour did Harry tediously go over the necessary paperwork for the captured Death Eaters, followed by another hour of questioning. Once all eight were transferred Azkaban, Harry was permitted the opportunity to go home. Harry had every intention of going to question the one person he knew was protecting his sister, but found that he was incapable of doing so. When he arrived at the Burrow, Harry found that it was in a state of chaos. Molly was busy patching Bill up; Charlie and George were chatting in the corner; Ginny was up in her room, or so Molly said; and Ron was ranting about Apollonia, which – much to Harry’s surprise – George was not taking the bait. Harry glared at Ron. “What the hell is your problem, Ron? Can’t you see that my friendship with you is slowly waning with each and every barb you throw at my sister?” Harry was truly disgusted with the way that Ron was treating Apollonia – simply because she was a Slytherin – and he was close to ending his friendship with him as a result of it.

“You can’t see it!” Ron screamed. “You can’t see what that snake is really trying to do! She wants to destroy us, tear us apart. And, she’s succeeding. Pretty soon, you’ll find yourself at the helm of a new dark regime. There’ll be nothing you can do to stop it.”

Harry glared at him. “You’ve sunk to a new low, Ron. House lines are not as defined as you think they are. Apollonia may be a Slytherin, but she was never immersed in the darkness. The idea that she would is absurd.” When it was revealed that Apollonia was truly Harry’s sister during the Malfoy trials, it was believed that Ron would relax his disdain for Apollonia. However, it only seemed to grow after that came abound; he became more intent on proving that Apollonia Snape was the monster he suspected her to be. And, Harry was sick of it. He was sick of trying to prove to his second family – for only half of them were on her side – that Apollonia was a good person.

Harry was truly considering severing ties with those Weasleys who were not willing to accept Apollonia as a part of his family. As a result, the only Weasleys that the boy-hero would have contact with were Arthur, Molly, Bill, and George; the others still had a few issues with her, or so Harry had surmised. Of the group, Charlie merely had issue with her because of something that happened during his second year; he was wary of anything she might do. Then, there was Percy, who remained neutral on the issue; too absorbed in his grief over what happened to Fred to truly care. Although, the fact that he was willing to help rescue Apollonia seemed to work in his favor. Surprisingly, Ginny was difficult to gauge; she seemed to shy away from Apollonia for reasons unknown. Ron, of course, would never be willing to accept Apollonia; he made that very clear.

The man-who-conquered was still unsure about what he wanted to do regarding his second family. Harry was considerably torn about what he wanted to do about their loyalty. On the one hand, did those who did not accept Apollonia really deserve being a part of Harry’s life? However, they did support Harry no matter what, so he also considered giving them the benefit of the doubt. The choice was difficult to make; cut ties or a second chance.

Before he could make a decision, the telltale POP of apparition interrupted all goings on of the Burrow. Harry grinned upon seeing his sister. Apollonia Snape cautiously entered the Burrow, only to be accosted by Ron. “Get out!” he yelled. “You’re not welcome here!”

“Of course she is!” two voices – Harry and George – yelled.

Apollonia immediately turned her attention to Ron, glaring at the youngest Weasley son mutinously. “Learn to treat me better, Weasley! Otherwise, you’ll live to regret it.”

Harry nodded knowingly. So did Bill and George. Known to only those who nodded, Apollonia was Lady Prince. And, the more Ron insulted her, the deeper the hole he was digging for himself. Surely Apollonia was more than willing to declare a feud between herself and Ron, and, unfortunately for him, Ron’s mouth was only giving her more incentive to follow through with such a threat. Ron was just asking for trouble. Without hesitation, she would surely give it to him. And, to be perfectly honest, Harry could not wait for the day in which Ronald Bilius Weasley came to the realization that he just made the biggest mistake of his young life. There was sure to be an uprising.

All of a sudden, Molly came rushing over. It was to Harry’s surprise that the maternal woman stopped just in front of Apollonia, only to begin berating her. “What were you thinking, young lady? You could have been injured even further by going after your brother like that.”

“I had to,” Apollonia argued. “I was the only one who could.”

“Yeah, right!” Ron scoffed.

Saw that coming, Harry growled. And, in that moment, Harry came to a decision. He was not about to live at the Burrow any longer than he had to; not so long as Ron thought it prudent to insult Apollonia. He would fix up Grimmauld Place, or one of his other properties for him to live on. But, he was not about to listen to Ron insult the only family he had left. It had been a month since the war ended, a month since Harry discovered that he had a sister. And, in that month, Harry came to the realization that his best friend was never going to accept every aspect of Harry’s life. It would never happen.

“…did what I thought was right,” Apollonia was saying.

“It was still irresponsible of you,” Molly said.

Harry had to agree; it was irresponsible of her to come help him out of that farmhouse. But, it also proved to be a good idea. If it were anyone else, Harry was not sure if he would have escaped as easily as he did. For all he knew, it could have taken longer, if not for the fact that Apollonia was there to help. There was no telling as to what might have happened. But, as it was Apollonia there to help him, there was no point dwelling on the what-ifs. Right now, Harry’s sole focus was trying to escape his best friend’s anti-Slytherin ways.

***

The following morning, Harry got up early and apparated to Gringotts. He needed to speak with the goblins about his holdings, specifically the properties he owned. With his intention to move out of the Burrow, Harry needed to know where he could go. The truth of the matter was that he did not know of the properties he owned; it was not a subject that was broached during his last visit. However, now that Harry decided to move out of the Burrow – a result of Ron’s attitude – he needed to figure out where he would live.

Harry walked into the bank and immediately headed towards the first free goblin. “I would like to speak with the Potter/Black account manager,” Harry informed the goblin.

“Of course, sir,” the goblin said.

“Lord Potter-Black, how may Gringotts help you?”

Harry nodded to Griphook. “I would like a listing of all Potter and Black properties please,” Harry said. Unfortunately, Harry had no way of knowing anything about his fortunes. Dumbledore never thought to mention any of it to him. The Voldemort situation – Trelawney’s prophecy – proved far more important than his fortunes, at least in Dumbledore’s eyes. He was seventeen and not once did he realize just how rich he was, the sacrifice that was made when his parents and Sirius crossed over.

A list was produced and Griphook handed it to the young man. “Here you are Lord Potter-Black,” the goblin said. Harry grunted at the title. It was a reminder of the fact that his parents and Sirius were gone, a reminder that he was the last remnant of two noble families.

“Call me, Harry, Griphook,” he insisted.

“Of course,” Griphook said.

Harry glanced over the list of Potter/Black properties. There were eight houses; three Potter, five Black. Grimmauld Place was one, but that was obvious. Sirius even mentioned that it was the house he grew up in. And, knowing how much Sirius despised the place, Harry was not sure he wanted to keep it. If he did, the place would need a lot of work; perhaps even turning into a memorial for the Marauders and his mother.

One of the other Black properties sparked Harry’s interest, a place that was conveniently called Marauder Manor. Apparently, the house was located in Hogsmeade, not far from where the Shrieking Shack was located. That was a definite possibility. He would have to look into that one. Other than that, there were two houses in France: one Potter (Guerrier Stronghold), one Black (Étoile Noire); Potter Manor, located in Kent; a Tuscan villa which Harry was sure was a Black property (Crow’s Nest); Godric’s Hollow was the final Potter property – obviously given that it was where his parents died; and the final Black property (Canis Major) was in an undisclosed location.

Given the choices, there were a few places in which Harry knew he could cross off the list. He and Hermione had been to Godric’s Hollow, deeming the place unlivable. Besides, Harry preferred that the place be kept as a memorial to his parents. Any out of country houses would not be lived in; Harry mentally crossed out Guerrier Stronghold, Étoile Noire, and Crow’s Nest. Canis Major was not an option either, as he had no idea where it was. That left Grimmauld Place, Marauder Manor, and Potter Manor as possible houses. And, in all honesty, he was leaning towards Grimmauld Place. Though it was where Sirius grew up, there was a part of Harry that needed to be close to him.

Upon going over a few issues regarding his holdings with Griphook, Harry headed out into Diagon Alley. He planned on doing a little wandering before apparating out to Grimmauld Place. The process would begin today, as Harry did not wish to waste any time. Harry snapped his fingers in recognition. “Kreacher!” he called. For the last two years, Kreacher was at Hogwarts. However, since he was the former elf of Grimmauld Place, it seemed logical that Harry should use him; it would get done quicker.

Kreacher appeared. “Yes, Master?” he grumbled.

“I order you to go to Grimmauld Place and clean it up,” Harry said. “Remove all remnants of dark magic from the house and send them out to the Ministry.” Under no circumstances would Harry ever permit Grimmauld Place to remain permeated with the stench of dark magic. For too long, the Black house had been like this. Well, no longer. Harry would turn the House of Black into a respectable house, unlike its prior reputation. After Harry was through with it, the Wizarding World would come to know the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black as a shadow of its former self; Harry refused to let it stay this way.

“Yes, Master Harry,” Kreacher groused. “Stupid half-breed.”

In hearing that, Harry stopped Kreacher from leaving. “Kreacher, I order you stop using those foul names. The House of Black – and any elves serving it – will treat everyone with respect, no matter whether they are Purebloods, blood-traitors, muggleborns, half-bloods, or squibs. All witches and wizards will be treated as equals.” Generations of touting purebloods as the best; it would take awhile for Harry to convince Kreacher to change his ways. In fact… “I doubt that Regulus would appreciate that you’re doing this.” It was a cheap shot, but it might turn out to be the only thing that would work.

“Mas…master Regulus?” the elf questioned.

Harry nodded. “Yes, Master Regulus.”

Kreacher seemed to brighten up with the mention of his former master. Should have tried that before, Harry surmised. Maybe if he had, things might have been different. Too late for second-guessing now. It’s not going to change anything. Kreacher headed off to Grimmauld Place while Harry continued going through Diagon Alley.

For a long time, Harry simply wandered about the Alley. There wasn’t much in which Harry could do, so he wasted time exploring the place. But, as he made his way towards 93 Diagon Alley—the home of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes—Harry found the place not as empty as he expected. Of all people that could have been in here, it was Apollonia who was seated at the counter. “Apollonia, what are you doing here?” Harry wondered.

"Do you really think that George would stop by?” Apollonia reminded him. “The chances of George Weasley coming down here are slim to none. So, I decided to stop by.”

“He’s taking this a little too far, isn’t he?” Harry asked.

Apollonia nodded. “You know perfectly well that Fred’s death affected him more than anyone. I don’t know if he’ll ever show up here. Wheezes has been closed for the last year, and I doubt that he’ll want to go to a place where the memories of Fred are so strong.”

“You need to do something about that,” Harry said.

“Don’t I know it,” Apollonia muttered.

“Why haven’t you done it then?” Harry asked.

“You know the answer to that, Harry,” his sister replied. “Already, I have a lot to go through; helping with the recovery effort; helping raise Teddy; making sure that Narcissa and Draco follow through with their punishments; keeping George from falling into a depression; and learning about my cousins. Something is bound to slip through the cracks.” Two pairs of emerald eyes met. “So, what are you doing around here?”

“I’m moving out of the Burrow,” he said.

“Finally!” she exclaimed. “Harry, you have no idea how happy I am to here you say that. The longer you spend there, the more chances Ron has to try turning you against me. You not staying there is probably for the best. But, where will you go? Where are you to stay?”

“Grimmauld Place,” Harry answered.

“Of course you’d pick that one,” she laughed.

“Why?” Harry asked. “What’s so funny about that?”

“If you must know,” the Slytherin replied, “one of the Prince properties is located somewhere in London. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was within walking distance of Grimmauld Place.”

“Where?” Harry wondered. If there was any chance of Apollonia living near him, he would take it without a second thought. Years were spent not knowing that she was his sister. As a result, he knew very little about her. The possibility of Apollonia living near Grimmauld Place; well, it was the only chance he had at discovering the type of person Apollonia was, without worrying about the possibility that Ron might step in and try to put a stop to all this. Yes, it was definitely for the best that Harry was moving out of the Burrow.

“It’s a place called Ravencrest,” Apollonia said with a shrug. “I planned on going to check it out a little later, figure out what I wanted to do with my family’s things.”

“Sounds a lot like my plan for Grimmauld Place,” Harry noted. Apollonia was trying to fix up the house where her cousins lived, a house that she never entered because she never knew of their existence. Suddenly, as he was speaking with his sister, an idea came to the young hero. Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone here. It was probably the one chance he had at getting to know his sister without Ron’s interference. And, he was not about to pass up such an opportunity. “Apollonia, would you mind coming to help me with this? I already have Kreacher cleaning the place up, but I could definitely use your help.”

“Only if you help me with Ravencrest,” Apollonia said.

Harry nodded. “Deal.”

Between Harry and Apollonia, Grimmauld Place would surely undergo a makeover. However, he might need a little more help than just the two of them. It would take longer than he wanted if only he and Apollonia were the ones fixing Grimmauld Place up. Turning it into a place that Sirius—and even Regulus—would be proud of; it would take a long time; it would take a lot of work. Which was exactly why he asked Apollonia to help him.

The two siblings stayed at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes for another half hour before apparating over to Grimmauld Place. They could have walked; however, Harry was anxious to discover just how much Kreacher had done to the Black ancestral home in the last hour. And, he was curious as to how much had to be taken to the Ministry, how many dark objects were in the Black house. “Kreacher!” Harry called when he and Apollonia arrived.

“You called?” Kreacher asked.

“How much progress have you made?” Harry asked.

“Kreacher found items hidden in the study and the library,” the elf said. “There were also items hidden in the Mistress’s room.” Harry glared at the elf. It was partially his fault that Walburga had done this, because he was so devoted to his Mistress that there were dark objects hidden within the house; objects that not even the Order was able to remove. Actually, speaking of Walburga; what was he going to do about that damn portrait? Since the woman’s death thirteen years ago, the portrait had been a part of Grimmauld Place. And, with that nasty sticking charm – of which was unfortunately permanent – the chances of getting rid of her were slim. Sadly, Walburga’s attitude was worse that Kreacher’s was.

“Even with Sirius here, the house was filled with dark objects,” Apollonia muttered darkly. “Did anyone even search through the rooms, especially his mother’s room?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s where Buckbeak stayed while Sirius was alive,” Harry said. “Payback to his mother, I suppose. But, I don’t think Sirius gave them the chance to search through his mother’s room.” He laughed. “It’s a good thing that Buckbeak is off with Hagrid or we’d never be able to search.” Actually, that was one thing that could probably get taken care of; Buckbeak – under the codename Witherwings – aided in the Battle of Hogwarts. The help that he provided in the war, surely that would counteract the order to kill him.

Though all the dark objects were set to be taken to the Ministry, there was still a lot of work that had to be done. It was a dark and gloomy place, not a very conducive environment for living – and even raising a family. “Kreacher, is there any way to silence Walburga?”

“No, Master. There is not,” he said.

Harry growled and stormed over to where Walburga Black’s portrait was located. Before the woman could say anything, of which she was starting to, Harry held a hand up. “You know your family, correct?” Harry asked. Walburga nodded mutely. “Your Aunt Dorea; did she have any children?” Harry knew the answer. He was just waiting for his father’s cousin to realize that that she spent the last few years insulting family.

“There was a son, I think; about the traitor’s age,” Walburga answered.

“Don’t call Sirius a traitor,” Harry warned. “Now, Walburga; that son, your cousin. Do you know of what happened to him, what happened to a portion of your family?”

“No,” she said.

“Obviously, you never looked at the Black tapestry enough before you died,” Harry scoffed. “Dorea married Charlus Potter and had one son; James Charlus Potter. In mid 1978, James Potter married the love of his life, a muggleborn woman by the name of Lily Evans. From that union, the man you see before you was born; the savior of the Wizarding World; the young man whom you were oft to insult during the last few years.” If the woman’s portrait was permanently stuck to the wall, he might as well use that to his advantage; make Walburga Black aware of the fact that he was the Lord Black.

“But…I…I…” the woman stammered.

Harry mock-bowed before the portrait, causing his sister to snicker at the sight. “You spent years insulting Lord Black. Well, technically, it’s Lord Potter-Black; however, I’m sure you get the point.”

“I…I…I…”

“And, just to keep your tongue at bay; yes, a half-blood is the Head of the Black house. Kind of makes Toujours Pur a little hypocritical, wouldn’t you agree?” the young lord asked. Again, Apollonia snickered. It caused Harry to remember something. “Oh, yes; my half-sister. She was born of a one-night stand between my mother and Severus Snape. She is the last remnant of what was once a proud house such as this one; she is a Prince. She is Lady Prince.”

Apollonia elbowed him. “Why tell her?”

“To garner a little respect,” Harry muttered.

She shrugged. “I suppose I can’t really complain anyway.” Harry eyed her curiously, wondering what this was about. “Yesterday, after everything that happened; I ran into Zara’s best friend at St. Mungo’s. Her connection to Zara, and even Morgan, made me tell her who I was.”

“Not all too surprising,” Harry said. “So, that’s you, me, Hermione, George, Bill, Fleur, Ragnok, Griphook, Walburga, and Zara’s best friend who know the Prince secret. And, how long will you hide it? How much longer until the secret is to be revealed?”

“Give it a year,” Apollonia replied.

“Why then?” Harry wondered.

“Because I need the next year to recover,” she answered. “With everything that happened during the last year, I’m going back to Hogwarts. The whole of that year was spent trying to keep myself out of the Carrows’ hair. And, because of that, I did not reach my fullest potential, even as Head Girl. The next year will be used for recovery effort. Then, I’ll tell them.”

She wanted to go back to Hogwarts. She wanted to continue her education, much like Hermione probably would. And, with the possibility of his sister going back to Hogwarts when it reopened in the fall, it turned out that Harry was left with very little time to get to know his sister. Damn it! This is what I get for having a sister who is so much like Mum. No wonder she and Hermione get along so well. Harry could see the obvious similarities between his sister and Hermione; between the two of them and Lily Potter. The two of them spent the last two years getting to know when another – even during the year on the run – while Harry only spent sixth year getting to know her. He wasted a year of his life angry at Apollonia for something she never even had a part of. Each and every day at my life I’ll regret what I did to her. No more. I refuse to do that anymore. It was the reason he was here. It was the reason Harry was trying to fix up Grimmauld Place.

Harry turned to Walburga. Something had to be done about the way she treated those who were not of pure blood. It would not mesh well with Harry’s plan for this family. “Cousin, you must change your attitude towards those whose blood is not as you say pure. Toujours Pur is no longer valid. It will never apply to the House of Black anymore. The Black family lives on, but only through me; your nieces: Andromeda and Narcissa; Andromeda’s grandson, Teddy; Narcissa’s son, Draco; the Weasley family: Arthur and his wife, Molly along with their sons – Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, and Ron – and daughter, Ginevra. No one will ever have the name Black, as both your sons are gone. Of those, only myself and Teddy are not of pure blood. But, he will not be the only one. There will be more.”

In the stories that Harry heard from Sirius about family, Walburga Black was guilty of disowning decent members of the family; Andromeda, Dora, Sirius; and Alphard Black. And, previous generations eliminated Marius, who was a squib; Isla Black, who married someone not of pureblood; Phineas Black, who supported Muggle rights; and, Cedrella Black, whose only crime was marrying Septimus Weasley, Arthur’s father. None of this warranted being blasted from the family, yet it happened because of Toujours Pur.

“You made your point, Lord Black,” Walburga said.

“I hope you’ll remain silent then,” Harry stated.

Eventually, Harry and Apollonia drifted into the library to speak about what had to be done. The house was to be fixed up, turned into a brighter place to live. But, he needed help. He needed his sister – and even his friends – to help him transform Grimmauld Place. Apollonia looked at him. “Do you have any idea of how you want to fix this place up?”

“Not a clue,” Harry shrugged.

Apollonia nodded and started spouting out design ideas. Well, not really. It was more like reminiscing. “Think of Sirius. Think of what he would have wanted the house to be like.”

Sirius. The thought of his godfather, combined with the fact that he was sitting in the Black ancestral home, made Harry want to break down. He spent very little time with the man. There was, of course, that year and a half before the Dursleys, but Harry barely remembered that. After his time with the Dursleys, however, it was a total of two months. In his nearly eighteen year-old life; only about seventeen months were spent with his godfather. What would Sirius have wanted? How would he have wanted to live? “The doom and gloom has got to go. Bright colors; yellow, gold, and red. Only one room should stay as it is; that would be Sirius’s room.” As much as that room would bring him some very painful memories, it was the only room in the house that Harry would ever permit to stay as it was, as a memorial for Sirius. He would never change that room.

“That’s a start,” she said. “Anything else?”

“Not at the moment,” Harry said. He couldn’t come up with anything more that would turn Grimmauld Place into a house that Sirius could be proud of. However, Harry knew that there was one thing that he and Apollonia needed to take care of. “But, there is something we need to do.” When he and Apollonia went to check out the Black vault, Sirius mentioned that there was a Marauder file. Somewhere in the house was a Marauder history and a Hogwarts guide. This was in addition to the how-to guide on the pranks that were pulled during their school years and the animagi training manual. It was up to them to continue the tradition of the Marauders. And, they would make sure that Teddy did the same.

“What would that be?” Apollonia wondered.

“The Marauder file; its history and Hogwarts guide,” Harry reminded his sister pointedly. “Sirius said they were here. The two of us were charged with carrying on the Marauders, keeping their legacy alive. Between the two of us, and even Teddy, it must be kept alive.”

“Which is funny, because I’m not even a related to a Marauder,” she laughed. “I’m only related to the offspring of one of the Marauders – and their enemy’s daughter.”

“Look at what you did to Pansy, Charlie, Ron; hell, even the twins,” Harry reminded her. “If you can prank the twins and get away with it, then you are definitely worthy of becoming a Marauder. In fact, I don’t think they ever pranked you back for that.” It was true. Out of everyone in the school, Apollonia was the only one capable of pranking the twins and not having to worry about their payback. She was most definitely worthy of this. Harry waved it off. “Let’s just see if we can find what we’re looking for.”

It took them about twenty minutes, but the two siblings were able to locate the books they were looking for. As it turned out, they were hidden under a floorboard in Sirius’s room. Obviously, he did not want anyone from the Order – with the exception of Remus or maybe the twins – to find this. The books were pulled out and carefully examined. “We could have used this,” he heard his sister complain as she paged through the Hogwarts guide.

“In what way?” Harry wondered.

“Harry, this book provides a detailed description of each area in Hogwarts – including the Room of Requirement. James, Sirius, and Remus were painstakingly detailed in this,” Apollonia told him. “They wanted future generations to have the best possible experience at Hogwarts.”

“Years wasted!” Harry growled, slamming the Marauder history closed and tossing it on Sirius’s bed. “If only I had known Sirius and Remus before school started. Things might have been so much different if they were a part of my life; if they were allowed to raise me, as was intended.” After all, Sirius was his godfather. However, thanks to Dumbledore, Barty Crouch Snr., and Fenrir Greyback, Harry had no way of getting to know Sirius and Remus; they were both dead. And, though he knew that it would never happen, Harry wanted more than anything to turn back time. The only thing that could have made him happier than having his sister around was having his parents, Sirius, and Remus back. But, it would never happen. Apollonia was all he had left, and all he was allowed to have.

The Hogwarts guide was dropped onto the bed. “I think we might want to get out of here. You’re getting a little too emotional. Some distance between you and this house would do you some good.”

“To Ravencrest then?” Harry asked.

“I think so,” she replied.